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As the global population becomes more concentrated in urban environments, higher numbers of people will be exposed to urban air pollution. The environmental and human health benefits of green roofs are widely recognized. The aim of this paper is to promote green roofs as an effective passive technique for pollution mitigation and adaptation to climate change. During the heating season, the ambient concentrations of PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 were measured above a green roof and a reference roof on a school building, located in New Belgrade, the second-most populous municipality and business center of Serbia's largest city. The percent reduction of PM10, PM2.5 and PM1, in January 2020, above the green roof compared to the reference roof was 7%, 16.6%, and 17.6%, respectively. The results show that lightweight green roof improve air quality in terms of PM concentrations for all months considered. In this paper, correlation analysis and the use of Pearson's coefficient were used in the process of analysis to determine the relationship between PM10, PM2.5, PM1, and ambient parameters: relative humidity, ambient temperature, and wind speed. It was found that the statistical correlation expressed by the Pearson coefficient between all PM particles and wind speed was statistically significant in all observed months except September. Also, the degree of significance of the correlation between PM particles and humidity and temperature of ambient air varies by month. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the face of a changing climate, a growing number of construction firms are adopting carbon reduction targets on individual projects and across their portfolios. In the wake of the Paris Agreement, some firms are seeking a means of aligning their targets with sectoral, national and international mitigation commitments. There are numerous ways by which such an alignment can be achieved, each requiring different assumptions. Using data from the UK construction industry, this paper reviews current company commitments and progress in carbon mitigation; analyses the unique challenges in aligning construction targets, and presents a series of possible sectoral decarbonisation trajectories. The results highlight the disparity between current company targets and the range of possible trajectories. It is clear that a cross-industry dialogue is urgently required to establish an appropriate response that delivers both a widely-accepted target trajectory and a plan for its delivery. This paper is intended to stimulate and support this necessary debate by illustrating the impact of different methodological assumptions and highlighting the critical features of an appropriate response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar heat shielding against solar radiation over the entire building envelope is one of the most effective measures for achieving air-conditioning energy savings and preventing heat-island phenomenon in warmer climate regions. For this purpose, we proposed a new heat-shielding film, which possesses a retro-reflective property and a wavelength-selection property, while having the same degree of transparency as that of transparent glass. The proposed film can be easily applied to a wide variety of buildings and architecture, including new and existing buildings. This film embodies an innovative heat-shielding technique that makes it possible to effectively return solar radiation toward the sky, while minimizing the secondary effects to other buildings, to the ground, and so on. In order to verify these effects, several aspects of quantitative evaluation are demonstrated. The measurement results and concepts in this paper are referred to from the previous conference paper Inoue et al. [10]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents an energy simulation-based study to investigate the impacts of climate change on energy consumptions of an office building located in five different cities, United States. Annual energy consumption of a medium-size office building was predicted by building energy simulation software—EnergyPlus using TMY3 weather data and future climate data. In this study, we have used two sets of further climate data with different climate models including (1) Hadley Centre Coupled Model, version 3 (HadCM3), and (2) NCAR Community Earth System Model version 1 (CESM1) with the Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (CAM5). A morphing method was applied to downscale the monthly weather forecast to hourly forecast for use in building energy simulation for the two General Circulation Models (GCMs): HadCM3 and CESM1. Using the generated future weather files, HVAC operation related mitigation measures including adjustment of thermostat setpoints, reduced HVAC operation hours, reduced VAV box minimum flow setting, and mixed-mode ventilation were simulated to compare with ASHRAE Standard 90.1 baseline simulated using TMY3 weather data. Simulation results on predicted whole building, heating and cooling energy consumptions were examined. The paper highlighted the importance of efficiently operating mechanical systems in buildings to ensure a more sustainable future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A total of 95 papers systematically reviewed cool material as a mitigation strategy for urban heat island (UHI). • Based on the type of reflection and the spectral range, the analysis found 7 material technologies (UV–Vis-NIR). • Optical properties such as reflectance (ρ), absorptance (α), and emittance (ε) are key factors in cool materials design. • Technological setbacks constitute a key limitation to scale cool material technologies and low-cost alternatives. • DRC and super cool materials represent the most efficient innovations amongst current technologies. The challenging urban expansion represents a pressing need to implement climate mitigation strategies for the urban heat island (UHI) effects and significant threats to the environmental quality, energy consumption, and human health. Thus, this manuscript systematically evaluates 95 relevant studies through a robust evidence-based analysis centered on the latest advances in cool materials, their potential, technological innovation, and global trends. The results showed studies in 21 countries, 81 cities, and 16 climate zones, of which the majority belong to Humid subtropical climates (Csa) including 29 % of studies, Oceanic climates (Cfb) with 15 %, and Mediterranean climates (Cfa) with 13 %. Spectrophotometry analysis is used in 48 % of the studies, while the most studied technologies are the Daytime Radiative Cooling (DRC); 22 %, followed by Thermochromics (TC); 19 %, Cool-Colored (CC); 17 %, Phase Change Materials (PCM); 17 %, Retroreflectives (RR); 11 %, Light-colored (LC); 5 % and Fluorescents (FL); 5 %. Finally, DRC reported the highest cooling power of up to 136 W/m2, however, the latest developments advocate for climate-dependent dynamic modulation techniques of Super Cool Materials (SCM) with Passive Daytime Radiative Cooling (PDRC) attributes and engineered spectral properties to dissipate urban heat to outer space in different meteorological conditions and wavelengths levels of the atmospheric window (8–13 μm). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Design criteria for active solar technologies integration in the historic built environment to favor energy transition, cleaner energy production, and climate mitigation. • Comparison of international guidelines' recommendations, design and assessment criteria. • Common glossary for the integration of active solar technologies in cultural heritage. • Definition of clear and updated design criteria valid for traditional and innovative active solar systems. • Support to solar innovation for the development of ad hoc products that considered correct design criteria. The paper focuses on architectural integration of active solar technologies (photovoltaic and solar thermal systems) in the historic built environment. Interpreted and used as a building material in the envelope, they are able to positively support energy transition and to contribute to climate change mitigation without compromising the original typological-functional characteristics. Their integration is fostered by innovative architectural design, aesthetical appeal, flexibility, multi-functionality, cost reduction, and technological development. Moreover, they can enhance economic value, functionality, and human comfort of buildings. Despite these advantages, there is a social diffidence on their acceptability due to policy, design, technical, economic and information barriers. To overcome these issues, the paper aims at identifying shared design criteria for their integration in the historic built environment, through a detailed assessment of 44 international guidelines. The study develops a taxonomy of international recommendations on energy efficiency, microgeneration, and solar integration, missing in literature so far, by analysing and comparing recurring criteria and recommendations. Also, a glossary of the most important terms according to the aesthetic, technical, and energy integration levels is created. Thus, the research defines an innovative framework of reliable design criteria, and a shared vocabulary to promote active solar technologies integration in the historic built environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper provides an overview of a part of research related to the analysis of information technologies and measures for improving the energy efficiency in urban planning that can contribute to mitigating the impact of climate change. The first part of the paper deals with problems supported by the numerous data on negative effects of climate change on the cities, such as urban heat islands, energy and ecological crisis. The second part of the paper proposes solutions that rely on information technologies which facilitate process of urban planning. Two projects related to the implementation of measures for improving the energy efficiency in urban planning were conducted within this research. The first one is considering the design of a spa centre in an undeveloped mountain landscape and the second one is dealing with reconstruction of a residential block in urban built environment. In the first case study, the proposed solutions rely on the information technologies, while in the second case study they rely on the implementation of measures for improving the energy efficiency in urban planning. The results show that the application of different measures in urban planning depends on the level of the built environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasingly compact high density urban development in cities has allowed urban heat island effect to take root and increase the energy consumption of commercial buildings to cool its interior. Although the extensive use of glass façade has allowed these buildings to harness daylight to light up the building interior, it has also allowed substantial solar energy to enter and heat up the building. This is especially critical in hot and humid tropical regions, where reducing solar heat gain, while minimizing heat loss are equally important. The evaluation of glass performance is often conducted using active measurement, which make use of known radiant source. However, this type of setup cannot be applied for testing under non-controlled weather. Though a passive test procedure can be conducted under actual weather conditions using the outdoor test chamber, it is not suitable for a large-scale testing and fast on-site characterization. In addition, this test is limited to the fabricated glazing and thus could not predict potential issues in the design stage. Advances in simulation techniques have enabled building professionals to evaluate the glass façade of a building at the design phase. However, the typical simulation tools are unable to integrate the high performance glazing description, which is generated thanks to advances in coating technology, using the existing glass models. Furthermore, these tools are often lack of local weather models that plays an important role in accurately assess the solar heat gain admitted into the building. This paper provides useful information on different high performance glass façades and assesses their applicability for green building in a tropical country like Singapore. The research effort encompasses an improvement in the methodology used to predict solar irradiance through building glass that incorporates seamlessly the advanced glass models into the solar irradiance simulation. In addition, this will show how to effectively estimate the actual sky behavior via a measured data-based optimization process. A comparison of the simulation results with the measurements from an outdoor climatic test chamber under tropical climate will be performed. An assessment based on the typical glass performance metrics (e.g. U-value and Solar-Factor) together with measured energy savings obtained with the use of different high performance glass façade compared to clear float glass as a control will also be presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses an example of an architect designed and occupied suburban house in the temperate climate of Perth, Western Australia to demonstrate how climatic design and low-technology active systems can deliver thermal comfort in average climatic conditions. However when thermal conditions are more extreme acceptable temperature ranges may not be met. Thermal monitoring in the house over eight days of extreme temperatures in summer and winter shows that acceptable temperature ranges may not be met in winter. During extreme winter conditions south facing rooms fall below comfort conditions by up to 3 K in the late night and early morning. The conclusion drawn is that in naturally ventilated buildings personal and psychological behavioral adaptation must go hand-in-hand with climatic design. This behavioral adaptation may become more important in the future if current climatic extremes become the new normal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Average air temperatures in the Mediterranean region are in the thermal comfort zone for human beings in summer. However, irradiation conditions, construction technologies and subjective comfort expectations are dramatically increasing the cooling demand in buildings, exacerbated by the ambient temperature increase due to the climate change and the urban heat island phenomenon. This paper investigates the impact of the urban environment on the energy and thermal response of residential buildings, considering the case of the city of Rome, Italy. Ambient air temperature and relative humidity were continuously measured in four neighborhoods in 2015 and 2016. The monitored neighborhoods are characterized by: location in the urban area; construction materials for buildings and pavements; geometry of the urban texture. Data were also measured by a non-urban station, used as undisturbed reference. The climatic data were then used to calculate the thermal response of a typical Italian residential building, ideally located in the monitored areas of the city. Two envelope configurations were taken into account: with and without thermal insulation. Heat island intensities up to 8 °C was detected, with maximum monthly averages equal to 2 °C. The urban heat island increases the building cooling energy needs by 12% in the peripheral neighborhood and by up to 46% in the city center, respect to the undisturbed zone. For not cooled buildings, it was found out that the number of hours of thermal discomfort remains significant in urban buildings, despite the application of night ventilation strategies, while comfort conditions are mostly reached for buildings in the countryside. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • High resolution data from a Dutch net zero energy neighborhood is analysed. • Most buildings are positive energy, emit less carbon than they offset. • Large occupant differences in energy demand are visible across the households. • Occupant preferences and weather conditions greatly influence thermal energy demand. • Due to the high thermal efficiency, there is a high risk for summer overheating. Decarbonizing the building stock is a central component of global climate change mitigation efforts. In practice, this decarbonization can be achieved by a variety of different measures, including improvements in building energy efficiency, electrification of energy demand to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and installation of distributed (renewable) generation in conjunction with flexible storage. However, these large-scale, often disruptive changes to the built environment also raise a number of concerns, such as loss of occupant comfort exacerbated by climate change, and introduction of additional stressors on the distribution grid. In this paper, we demonstrate several conclusions using detailed sub-hourly data of two years (2019–2020) collected from 40 homes in a recently refurbished net-zero energy neighborhood in the Netherlands. This paper shows that, in renovation projects like the case study, net-zero energy balances should be considered on a neighborhood, rather than building level to minimize worst case planning by accounting for occupant influences and seasonal effects. Furthermore, the energy flexibility and climate resilience in the buildings seems to be rather limited, as a result of energy efficiency improvements. While helpful in climate change mitigation efforts, the large seasonal differences in energy demand and generation imply that this evolution is perhaps sub-optimal from the grid perspective. The results illustrate that all homes in the study were net-zero energy over the two year period, sometimes net positive by up to a factor of three. This led to considerable excess generation especially during the summer months. In addition, it was found that indoor air temperature sensors in a number of buildings showed overheating beyond guideline thermal comfort temperature of 25°C, showing potential thermal comfort and heat stress for vulnerable occupants. These results motivate energy storage or modifications of the installed heat pumps to leverage summer excess generation while reducing the impact of summer heat waves. These findings should enable the Netherlands and other countries aiming to fully decarbonize the building stock formulate better, future-proof policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: International agreements have led to an increase of national climate policies. The selection and analysis of policy instruments are mainly oriented at their technical effectiveness and financial feasibility while social sustainability plays a minor role. As a consequence, the impact of climate policies on individuals’ life situation is largely unknown even though the design of these policies suggests effects on national and international patterns of income inequality. Focusing on the residential sector, this paper investigates how national climate policy strategies affect the relationship between income and utility costs of households within nation states. It is argued that the effect of climate policy on income inequality depends on the specific design of these policies. Market-based solutions of energy efficient housing insulation, for example, focus more on effectiveness and less on social justice. In contrast, financial benefits from regulatory climate policies like eco-taxes on fuel can be configured as an instrument for income-redistribution. This paper sets a link between environmental politics and social justice research in a multi-level approach focusing on inequalities in housing utility costs among socio-economic groups. The analysis is based on EU SILC data which is combined with climate policy instruments in the field of housing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Strict energy performance requirements have reduced the building's operational energy use and related environmental impact in the past decades. Consequently, the embodied impacts of buildings gained importance, and hence focussing on the life cycle impacts has become essential to further reduce the environmental impact of buildings. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is an internationally accepted method used for this purpose. Current LCA studies of buildings typically look at their whole life cycle but ignore potential changes in operational energy use due to climate change. However, the latter is expected to influence the operational energy use of buildings to a significant extent. This paper aims to improve the assessment of the operational phase by including variations in the yearly operational energy use caused by climate change and expected changes in the electricity mix as a strategy for climate change mitigation. This adapted dynamic assessment method is used to assess a Belgian office building. The results indicate that a Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5 climate change scenario causes a decrease of 18 % for the end use of gas for heating and an increase of 32.4 % for the electricity use for cooling and ventilation. For the case study, the reduction of the environmental impact due to the decrease in gas use compensates the impact increase due to the higher electricity use. An increase in environmental impact in future would however occur if both heating and cooling are provided by electricity. Furthermore, depending on the changes that will occur in the electricity mix, the global warming potential of the office building will change by −13 % for an electricity mix dominated by renewables and by + 10 % for one with mainly production by gas compared to the situation with the current mix. However, the inclusion of a more extended list of environmental indicators shows that the overall environmental impact will only reduce by 4 % or even increase by 7 % compared to the situation with the current mix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intensification of the Urban Heat Island effect (UHI) is a problem that involves several fields, and new adequate solutions are required to mitigate its amplitude. The construction sector is strictly related with this phenomenon; in particular, roofs are the envelope components subject to the highest solar irradiance, hence any mitigation strategy should start from them and involve their appropriate design process. For this purpose, cool materials, i.e. materials which are able to reflect a large amount of solar radiation and avoid overheating of building surfaces have been deeply analyzed in the last years both at building and urban scales, showing their benefits especially in hot climates. However, green roofs also represent a possible way to cope with UHI, even if their design is not straightforward and requires taking into account many variables, strictly related with the local climatic conditions. In this context, the present paper proposes a comparison between cool roofs and green roofs for several Italian cities that are representative of different climatic conditions. In search of the most effective solution, the answers may be different depending on the perspective that leads the comparison, i.e. the need to reduce the energy consumption in buildings or the desire to minimize the contribution of the UHI effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Relative and absolute home retrofit targets are reviewed and discussed. • Retrofit depth is determined by policy targets or practical cost-effectiveness. • Research studies find feasible energy savings of around 60% maximum. • Neighbourhood is optimal spatial scale to large-scale deliver home energy retrofit. • Future retrofits to be phased instead of one-off, and less primacy of fabric first. Home energy retrofit has been a publicly-funded policy in many countries since the 1990s. Government motivations have spanned from combating energy poverty to climate action and sustainability. Given the ambition of public policy, this paper reviews the targets, spatial scales and metrics used to deliver and evaluate home energy retrofit. Large-scale retrofit projects do differ: by spatial area, by retrofit depth and in evaluation metrics (if used). This review surveys first, the quantities of homes and inhabitants in intermediate spatial scales used to plan retrofit programmes. Second, the optimal spatial scale and retrofit depth to deliver large-scale home retrofit. Third, the quantitative metrics to evaluate retrofits, and future trends in occupant-based metrics. Neighbourhood is found to be the optimal spatial scale for home energy retrofit. Deep retrofit is described as 60% energy savings that, in synergy with energy supply decarbonisation, promises to deliver 80% or higher emission reductions. Recent evidence shows a shifting primacy from fabric-first retrofit to decarbonisation of heat generation and occupant health and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of advancing global warming, climate change adaptation and mitigation measures for buildings are becoming increasingly important. The following article discusses the question of whether current urban planning principles still provide a suitable framework for this purpose. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to identify and quantify the main parameters of the urban planning framework regarding energy demand and energy generation of buildings. In a novel, holistic approach, passive design measures were evaluated in a joint analysis based on a case study in the city of Vienna (Austria) with respect to their impact on heating and cooling energy demand, overheating potential, daylight availability, and solar potential of new buildings. The results show that by improving the thermal insulation of the building envelope, the importance of a high compactness of the buildings to lower the heating energy demand is decreased. In addition, moderate compactness can help reduce the energy demand for space cooling and artificial lighting and increase the solar potential of the buildings. Accordingly, the results question the dogma of a high degree of compactness that still exists to some extent and indicate that changing climatic conditions also require new approaches in the urban planning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Embodied energy and embodied carbon as a tool for climate change mitigation. • A keyword analysis regarding EE and EC was carried out. • Bibliometric analysis and literature maps were developed. • 1003 documents were found in the Scopus database for the 1981–2019 period. • Current building material research claims for EE and EC standardization. Climate change mitigation is a recurrent consciousness topic among society and policymakers. Actions are being adopted to face this crucial environmental challenge, with a rising concern with a big impact on the building sector. Construction materials have a high carbon footprint as well as an energy-intensive activity. To measure the environmental damage and effects, life cycle assessment (LCA) is the methodology most widespread. However, the LCA methodology itself and the assumptions done to carry it out leads to a generalized burden to compare the case studies outcomes. LCA method and for instance geographical location are incompatibilities also revealed in embodied energy and embodied carbon assessments. Urgent actions are needed to clarify the confusions arisen in the research, considering a detailed study on the embodied energy and embodied carbon values. From a material level point of view, this paper aims to illustrate the chronological overview of embodied energy and embodied carbon through keywords analysis. Moreover, to support and corroborate the analysis, an organized summary of the literature data is presented, reporting the range of embodied energy and embodied carbon values up to now. This systematic analysis evidences the lack of standardization and disagreement regarding the assessment of coefficients, database source, and boundary system used in the methodology assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A retrofit selection strategy employing economic and environmental decision criteria was proposed. • Building energy retrofits were evaluated through a life cycle thinking approach. • Retrofits with operational emissions savings may not be beneficial when considering life cycle impacts. • Energy mix and the heating system of the house greatly impact the effectiveness. • Retrofit selection changes with stakeholder priorities on environment and economics. Improving the energy performance of buildings has been a much-discussed topic over the past few decades. With the current focus on climate change mitigation, emissions reduction has also come to the forefront of this discussion. Retrofitting is an option to improve the energy and emissions performance of buildings. However, in the residential building stock, retrofit planning for existing buildings faces many complexities due to variations in climatic conditions and macro-environment as well as the presence of multiple stakeholder groups. Thus, in identifying solutions, it is necessary to take a holistic perspective that covers these different dimensions. In this paper, commonly used building energy retrofits were evaluated through a life cycle thinking approach. The performance of various retrofit options applicable for single family detached housing were evaluated using the HOT2000 energy simulation software package under the varying climatic conditions and energy supply scenarios across Canada. The retrofits were evaluated in terms of the additional investment, energy use and cost reduction achieved over the life cycle, and life cycle emissions reduction. The findings indicate that the provincial energy mix and the heating system of the house (i.e. electric or natural gas) play a major role in determining the effectiveness of a retrofit, and this "effectiveness" changes at different stakeholder levels. However, not all retrofits that reduce emissions make economic sense and vice versa when life cycle thinking comes into play. The findings will be useful for building owners and occupants as well as for policy developers and other decision makers interested in demand side management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Halocarbon emissions in the building sector is increasing. • Non-Annex parties become bigger emitter instead of Annex parties. • Building sector accounts for more than half of global HFCs emissions. • Data sufficiency is key barrier for policy making. • Building cooling demand increase will push further halocarbon emissions. Estimates of the non-CO 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions contributed by the buildings sector are necessary to evaluate this sector's potential for climate change mitigation. As data is lacking on fluorinated gases (F-gases) and hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) emissions from the buildings sector, this study aimed to estimate these emissions. First, the share of total global GHG emissions represented by buildings-sector emissions was estimated. Then, the HFC emissions of the buildings sectors in several countries (USA, EU, Japan, and China) are compiled. Next, based on necessary assumptions, global buildings-sector HFC emissions were estimated. Finally, this paper discusses implications for policy-makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Energy renovation has a central role in the Croatian plan of climate change mitigation. • Almost 600 buildings with 16,400 apartments were renovated in Croatia in four years. • Renovations induce 32 jobs in Croatian economy per 1 million EUR of investments. • Total economic effects are 3 times higher than initial direct effects of investments. • Energy renovation reduces energy import dependency of the Croatian economy. The aim of this paper is to gain new knowledge on contributions of energy renovation of multi apartment buildings to economy and climate changes. The research methodology is based on applying the input–output model, which enables the analysis of direct, indirect and induced effects. The analysis was conducted on the sample of the Republic of Croatia. The reference research period is from 2017 to 2020. The results obtained confirm the existence of indirect socioeconomic effects of energy recovery projects which were justified by being co-funded from national budgets or EU structural funds. The growth induced by gross value added and employment positively effects the revenue from taxes and contributions, and by co-financing energy renovations they do not disturb the stability of public finances. The energy renovation of multi apartment buildings increases the energy sufficiency of the domestic economy due to the fact that the need for imported energy decreases throughout the entire life of the investment. A decrease in import dependency decreases the sensitivity of the economy from possible negative effects of the disorder on the world market of energy products. The obtained results show positive effects of energy renovation of multi apartment buildings on climate changes, primarily through the decrease of the amount of energy consumption in an energy renovated area and the decrease of harmful particle emission (CO 2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Systematic review of the technological options to achieve zero energy buildings. • Relevant literature published was critically assessed. • With appropriate design, buildings can contribute to climate change mitigation. • Decreasing the embodied energy in the materials used in their construction. • Decreasing the energy demand and use during their operation phase. A systematic review of the technological options and strategies to achieve zero energy buildings was carried out to establish today state-of-the-art knowledge base and to present key design and performance factors that define those technologies with the final aim of contributing to climate change mitigation options of buildings. All relevant literature published from January 2013 to August 2019 was critically assessed. A total of 14,895 papers were identified and 220 reviews were evaluated as first literature source; this literature showed that the published information is diverse and not organized, therefore climates and building typologies is not possible solely through published information. Collected evidence shows that with appropriate design, buildings can contribute to climate change mitigation decreasing the embodied energy in the materials used in their construction and decreasing the energy demand and use during their operation phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]